IP Library Granted Patent US 11,389,931
Granted Patent B2
US 11,389,931 · App. 16/865,624 · Granted Jul 19, 2022

Electrically isolated fastener driving device

Inventor: Timothy Edward Heitkamp (Tipp City, OH)
Assignee: APEX BRANDS, INC
B25B13/06B25B13/48B29C45/0001B29K2309/08
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,389,931
App. No.
16/865,624
Granted
Jul 19, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electrically isolated socket may include a drive body, a driven body, and a body portion. The driven body may be made of first metallic material and having a driven end configured to receive a fastener. The drive body may be made of a second metallic material and having a drive end configured to receive a protrusion of a driving tool. The body portion may over-mold substantially all portions of the drive body and the driven body other than the drive end and the driven end, respectively. The drive end of the drive body and the driven end of the driven body may face away from each other, and the drive body and driven body each include axial grooves. The axial grooves of the drive body each extend substantially perpendicular to an annular groove formed in the drive body from the annular groove formed in the drive body to the drive end, and the axial grooves of the driven body each extend substantially perpendicularly to an annular groove formed in the driven body from the annular groove formed in the driven body to the driven end.

Claims (31)

1. An electrically isolated driving device comprising:

a driven body made of a first metallic material and having a driven end, the driven end including a driven portion configured to interface with a fastener;

a drive body made of a second metallic material and having a drive end, the drive end including a drive portion configured to interface with a driving tool; and

a body portion made of an electrically insulating material, the body portion coupling the driven body to the drive body;

wherein the driven end of the driven body and the drive end of the drive body face away from each other, and at least one of the driven body and drive body include axial grooves disposed on an exterior surface thereof, and

wherein the at least one of the driven body and drive body define a longitudinal length, the longitudinal length being parallel to a longitudinal axis, and further wherein a length of one of the axial grooves of the at least one of the driven body and drive body is at least half of the longitudinal length.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the drive portion and driven portion are not surrounded by the body.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the axial grooves of the at least one of the driven body and drive body extend substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of both the drive body and driven body.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein both the driven body and drive body include axial grooves.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the axial grooves of the driven body have a different length than the axial grooves of the drive body.

6. The device of claim 4 , wherein the axial grooves of the driven body are radially offset from the axial grooves of the drive body.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the body extends into the axial grooves of both the drive body the driven body.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein each of the axial grooves of the drive body are defined to be equidistant from each other around a periphery of the drive body, and each of the axial grooves of the driven body are defined to be equidistant from each other around a periphery of the driven body.

9. The device of claim 4 , wherein the drive body and the driven body are each substantially cylindrical.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the body extends into a space defined between portions of the drive body and portions of the driven body that face each other.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein a diameter of the drive body and a diameter of the driven body are different.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein a pin receiver is formed through the driven body.

13. An electrically isolated driving device comprising:

a driven body made of a first material and having a driven end configured to interface with a fastener;

a drive body made of a second material and having a drive end configured to interface with a driving tool; and

a body coupling the driven body and the drive body together;

wherein the driven body is electrically isolated from the drive body;

wherein the driven end of the driven body and the drive end of the drive body face away from each other;

wherein the driven body and driven body each include a plurality of grooves disposed thereon and wherein each of the plurality of grooves are parallel to a longitudinal axis of the drive body and the driven body.

14. The device of claim 13 , wherein the body comprises a glass-fiber reinforced material.

15. The device of claim 13 , wherein the body comprises a plastic composite material.

16. The device of claim 13 , wherein the body extends into a space defined between portions of the drive body and portions of the driven body that face each other.

17. The device of claim 13 , wherein the axial grooves of the driven body are radially offset from the axial grooves of the drive body.

18. The device of claim 17 , wherein the axial grooves of the driven body have a different length than the axial grooves of the drive body.

19. The device of claim 13 , wherein the drive end and driven end are not surrounded by the body.

20. The device of claim 13 , wherein a diameter of the drive body and a diameter of the driven body are different.

Assignments (15)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 20, 2026
From: BARCLAYS BANK PLC
To: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC
Reel/Frame 075612/0935 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 20, 2026
From: BARCLAYS BANK PLC
To: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC
Reel/Frame 075613/0150 →
NEW SUPER PRIORITY GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT Recorded Oct 28, 2025
From: APEX BRANDS, INC.
To: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 073377/0567 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE REMOVAL OF PATENT NUMBER PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 58991 FRAME: 442. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SECOND LIEN GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS. Recorded Oct 10, 2025
From: APEX BRANDS, INC.
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 073077/0584 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE PATENT NO. 11203070 WHICH WAS INCORRECTLY INCLUDED AND SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE RECORD PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 58991 FRAME 556. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE FIRST LIEN GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS. Recorded Oct 10, 2025
From: APEX BRANDS, INC.
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 073078/0327 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE PATENT NOS. 7444851 AND 11203070 WHICH WERE INCORRECTLY INCLUDED AND SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE RECORD PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 67310 FRAME 54. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SUPER PRIORITY GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS. Recorded Oct 10, 2025
From: APEX BRANDS, INC.; APEX TOOL GROUP, LLC
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 073078/0477 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE CORRECT THE APPLICATION NO. 16/672703 PAT NO. 11191173 WHICH WAS INCORRECTLY INCLUDED AND SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE RECORDS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 58991 FRAME: 556. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE FIRST LIEN GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS. Recorded Aug 22, 2024
From: APEX BRANDS, INC.
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 068769/0309 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE APPLICATION NO. 16/672703 PAT NO. 11191173 WHICH WAS INCORRECTLY INCLUDED AND SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE RECORDS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 67310 FRAME 54. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SUPER PRIORITY GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS. Recorded Aug 22, 2024
From: APEX BRANDS, INC.; APEX TOOL GROUP, LLC
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 068791/0141 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE CORRECT THE APPLICATION NO. 16/672703 PAT NO. 11191173 WHICH WAS INCORRECTLY INCLUDED AND SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE RECORDS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 58991 FRAME: 442. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Aug 22, 2024
From: APEX BRANDS, INC.
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 068753/0687 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE THE APPLICATION NO. 16/672703 PAT. NO. 11191173 WAS INCORRCTLY INCLUDED AND SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE RECORDS. PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 66631 FRAME: 791. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SUPER PRIORITY GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT. Recorded Jun 25, 2024
From: APEX BRANDS, INC.
To: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC
Reel/Frame 067884/0469 →
SUPER PRIORITY GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded May 3, 2024
From: APEX BRANDS, INC.; APEX TOOL GROUP, LLC
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 067310/0054 →
SUPER PRIORITY GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT Recorded Feb 20, 2024
From: APEX BRANDS, INC.
To: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC
Reel/Frame 066631/0791 →
FIRST LIEN GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Feb 8, 2022
From: APEX BRANDS, INC.
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 058991/0556 →
SECOND LIEN GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Feb 8, 2022
From: APEX BRANDS, INC.
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 058991/0442 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 25, 2020
From: HEITKAMP, TIMOTHY EDWARD
To: APEX BRANDS, INC.
Reel/Frame 053039/0487 →